RADIO SALES OBJECTIONS SCRIPTBOOK by Dan O'Day

    • 2 posts
    August 16, 2012 9:03 AM PDT

     

    Hello guys,

     

    Has anyone in the forum read this book? I haven't found any reviews or at least a sample to see if it's worth the $97 price.

     

    Any info would be great.

     

    Thanks,

     

    hector

    • 993 posts
    August 17, 2012 12:02 AM PDT

    Hector,

       With all due respect to Dan (who will probably see this reply, thanks to Google News alerts), I've never been a fan of Irwin Pollack, who peddled this book as part of his sales training in the 1980's. Irwin was too slick* for my liking even then; these days, having a snappy comeback is even less likely to open a relationship or advance a sale.

       What does matter is honesty, and a genuine desire to serve the client, and a willingness to learn how to do that well. These are the currencies that count and will contribute much more to your success than memorizing a few "pat answers."

       If you run into an objection you can't address right away (and it's bound to happen, book or no), that's not the end of the world. Think of it as a "time out" -- an opportunity to do more research, give the situation more thought, etc.

      You can always post an objection or question here at RSC—without cost—and tap into the collective experience of other radio advertising sales professionals in markets of all sizes, some of whom have been at it for decades.

       If you do decide to spring for the book, be sure to come back with a review though, OK (good, bad, or indifferent)?

       I've purchased some of Dan's stuff over the years and have been happy with my purchases, and I have a great deal of respect for his marketing prowess. 

       However, in this case I'd be inclined to spend the $97 buying copies of Paul Weyland's "Successful Local Broadcast Sales," AND Michael Guld's "Million Dollar Media Rep," AND Chris Lytle's "The Accidental Salesperson," AND Michael Corbett's "33 Ruthless Rules of Local Advertising."   You'll learn far, far more and keep half your money for a future investment.

       The fact that you paused to ask the question speaks volumes, by the way.  :>)

    P.S. I failed to mention one other book - over 370 pages long and packed with practical radio sales advice - and that is Norton Warner's tome, DAVID CAN STILL BEAT GOLIATH - Radio Advertising is David's Slingshot.

    RSC member Jeff Dostal generously provided twenty copies recently as prizes in conjunction with RSC's third anniversary.  Let me share with you what one of the winners, Jack Walker, has to say, barely 100 pages into reading the book: 

    "The two biggest things I've learned already in the book is the concept of the electronic salesperson and how many sales calls do you want to make in a day. Business people clearly understand the more salespeople you have on the streets the more stuff you will sell, so a good schedule is cheaper than another salesperson. They also understand the more sales calls you make in a day the more stuff you will sell. Business people don't know anything about the number of spots that should be aired in a day, but they know when you make more sales calls sales go up."

    ______________

    *For example: "Use just one of these [objection responses] successfully, just once, and this book becomes the smartest radio advertising sales investment you've ever made!"  Slick pitch. But I'll stand by my alternative recommendation above.

     

  • August 17, 2012 8:00 AM PDT

    Before you blow $100 on a book, that the sales people may not even read....
    1)  Track the objections each sales person is getting (The rep who is getting none is not asking for the order)

    2)  You will probably find certain sales people get the same objection over and over.

    3)  You cannot really ANSWER an objection...  you need to adjust what you are doing.

    Example:

    Objection:  Your rates are too high

    Answer given many times:  "You get what you pay for", "Compared top what", "If I can lower it 20% are you interested?", "If you will sign a long term contract I'll get the rate down".

    BETTER Answer:  "I know there are lower rates out there.  Not unlike booking a hotel room on a Saturday vs Tuesday.... same room, different rates.  But if we are talking rate here, obviously I have not shown you value enough to make this worth it.  <Now closed question>  If the "rate" was right, does that mean you are ready to go with us now?  <wait for answer>.  Most times when someone objects to the rate, it is because they just don't think what I am talking about will work.  Where do you see the problem?

    • 993 posts
    August 17, 2012 8:33 AM PDT

    This is why Chris is in demand as a sales trainer!

    • 1 posts
    August 17, 2012 9:54 AM PDT

    Rod: You say, "These days, having a snappy comeback is even less likely to open a relationship or advance a sale." I agree, and this book isn't a collection of snappy comebacks.

    "You get what you pay for", "Compared top what", "If I can lower it 20% are you interested?", "If you will sign a long term contract I'll get the rate down"
      -- None of those in any way is similar to the responses in the book.

    The sales page for the e-book expresses the philosophy of the book and one that I believe should be the philosophy of any good salesperson:

    ------
    Your Goal Is Not To Win A Verbal Battle.     

    By rehearsing and having handy in your memory a number of good responses to prospects’ objections, you are not trying to win an argument. You’re not attempting to “one-up” them.     

    If you see “overcoming objections” as a competitive endeavor, you might win the battle of wits — “proving” that your prospect is wrong — but you'll lose the war…i.e., the sale.     

    Then What Is Your Goal?    

    None of these scripted responses is intended to “win the argument.” They are not weapons. They are means of beginning (or continuing) a conversation with your prospect.     

    Your goal isn’t to win a battle of wits. It’s to engage your prospects in meaningful conversations about their businesses… and how you can help them.
    ------

    Re: Irwin: I became a fan of him as a radio sales trainer the first time we spoke at the same event, I had time to kill before my own began, and I sat in the back of the room for his session. I expected to be bored but was won over by what struck me as a real-world, honest approach to radio sales.

    It's funny that he struck Rod as "slick," because I've always found Irwin to be the opposite: Direct, honest, not a game player.

    Re: The book: Although fundamentally it's the same book as Irwin's original, it was thoroughly updated and added to by me.

    • 33 posts
    August 19, 2012 4:26 PM PDT

    Hi Hector

    I worked  in association with a sales trainer in the US to create 108 scripts for media sales people.

    It covers everything from:

    1. The best five openings

    2. How to get through the gate keepers

    3. initial resistance

    4. 5 ways to get your prospect talking

    5. How to handle objections in five easy steps

    6. How to handle specific objections

    the list goes on and on.

    The beauty with this book is the scripts can be adapted to radio easily. I personally redrafted the original e-book to reflect a radio sales person (my original career)

    So if it is of any help here is the link

    http://www.mrinsidesales.com/advertisingandmedia.htm

    If you need any more help

    email me at [email protected]

    Best of luck

    Mike

    • 2 posts
    August 21, 2012 10:57 PM PDT
    Gentlemen, thank you very much for the resposes! It has helped a lot. I need all the help I can get. I just started hispanic radio sales this monday aftter being absent from sales abouit 5 years.

    I admire each and everyone of you. You guys are great examples to follow.

    Thanks again for sharing all your knowldge and passing it to us newbies.
    • 89 posts
    November 12, 2013 7:21 PM PST

    I just listened to a few of the tips about handling objections on Mr. Inside Sales and I can't stress enough how effective isolating the objective is. "You need to talk to your partner.... is that the ONLY reason we can't get moving today?" Or... "The price is to high? If the price was more in line with what you were expecting to spend, would you want to get this program underway?" More than half the time the answer is no because there is another objection, and often a more relevant one... and this method helps smoke it out. You can't get on the right highway until you find out what the real objection is.